dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
596
HappyFrappy
join:2000-10-04
North

HappyFrappy

Member

[Laptop] So I got a HP Chromebook

Was tempted to post this on the Linux/Unix subforum, I think the hardware board would be better fitting for those who may consider one.

Last week Woot had the 14" HP Chromebook w/200mb T-Mobile Faux 4G for $199, after shipping/taxes ~$220. Still better than buying just a T-Mobile 3G/LTE modem for rare non-free wifi travels.

Specs:
Intel Celeron 2955U
4GB RAM
16GB SSD
2x USB 3.0 Ports
1 USB 2.0 Port
Bluetooth
HDMI
Headphone-Mic hybrid jack
SDHC Slot (spring loaded, SDHC card stays inside)
SIM Card Slot/T-Mobile 3G Modem
Stereo Speakers
Weight ~4.2 lb (similar to a 12" PowerBook G4)

Generally I wouldn't touch HP products, however I heard great things about the trackpad and keyboard so the risk was worth taking--earlier I was eying a Windohs running Celeron/i3 with a built-in modem but why bother paying a Windows license tax if you don't plan to use it or help Microsoft inflate their Windows 8 sales numbers?

Speed wise ChromeOS is snappier than I remember(Parallels allows you to download/use a ChromeOS disk image), did some browsing, done a few work tasks on GoogleDocs, played some music from my Google Music account... still managed to squeeze ~8 hours. Microsoft "Cloud" seemed to choke on OneDrive document listing refresh/save. Wifi reception better than most HPs relatives owned/work issued which is a nice plus. Sound is much better on a desk/lap than any HP I've seen/used-no distortion at 90% volume
Switched it to developer mode, Crouton install went smoothly and began testing to see how much battery life would vary. After usage of Libre Office, Inkscape, GIMP, some Firefox it was slightly better(9.5 hours). This would make a perfect battery friendly Linux portable, build quality is above most $400 Windows PCs & zero plastic creaking. I still had ~8GB free space so 16GB SSD isn't too cramped unless the next ChromeOS update gains bloat to expand Android features.
Seen negative comments on the screen, viewing angle is better than my dads' HP DM4 and the screen isn't as glossy. Webcam is useless so I stuck a piece of tape on it.

Would it replace a full blown notebook?
Nope, I still need my daily workflow of Dreamweaver, Illustrator, Logic Pro X/Pro Tools & MS Office 2011. I needed a cheap HDMI equipped notebook vs always needing the silly Mini Display Port to HDMI for my MBP. Smooth for Hulu & Netflix... which my old Thinkpad would choke on.

Octavean
MVM
join:2001-03-31
New York, NY

Octavean

MVM

Last week a came across a shell shocker deal at newegg for what I believe to be the same 14" HP Chromebook with Celeron 2955U and 200mb T-Modile free data. I don't recall the final price but I think it was about ~$250 or so.

I thought about it for a while but ultimately past on it. It's back up to ~$320 or so now. I thought it was a really good deal but your cited price is even better.

Anyway, products like this such as cheap Chromebooks, android devices and others can all be very tempting. This is likely a significant part of what erodes the expansion of the classic PC market since there are so many options out there to the typical WinTel PC. It's not a simple matter of Windows 8 being unpalatable to many but the plethora of non Windows options, the economy and more.

Looks like a great buy for ~$200 to ~$220.

Enjoy!
Happydude32
Premium Member
join:2005-07-16

Happydude32 to HappyFrappy

Premium Member

to HappyFrappy
I have last year’s Chromebook 14 from HP. Similar specs, 1.1 GHz Celeron, 4GB RAM, 16 GB SSD, just no T-Mobile as T-Mobile is completely useless in my area. I hardly ever use it, and mainly purchased it with the hope that Google would merge Android with ChromeOS at some point in time.

The screen is dinky, and pretty dull compared to my real laptop, my HP Envy 3D. There’s no optical storage, the speakers suck, the keyboard is not backlit, no number pad, it was a bigger pain then it should have been to pair my Bluetooth mouse. And it was pretty disappointing to see quite a few of the Chrome OS ‘apps’ are just links to their respective websites. I knew going in this would be pretty much a $300 web browser, but I don’t think it is anything great at all. It is what it is, an uber-cheap laptop that is essentially just a web browser. Still hoping for some Android integration at some point, until then I will power it up every few weeks to check for updates.